Zeus by Paul C. Buff

[DougAxford]

Thanks for the link Luke, didn't know it existed.

Doug

[Ken Krehbiel]

Scott, I've had a pair of White Lightning X1600s for 5 months so far, and really enjoy using them over my Norman 2424 pack & lamps; much less work & weight. Much more scalable to the job; one or two light jobs are a snap compared to dragging my Tamarac Studio case to every shoot I have to light with more power than my SB-800s.
Just got back yesterday from an annual report shoot at an open-pit gold mine in Nevada, where one of the heads & vagabond II battary blew over into the mud from a MAJOR gust of wind; and after much cleaning of the back of the lamp, it works fine.

The vagabond is another story, after replacing the fuse, the converter started smoking. Bummer, back to WL for repairs. The Vagabond II is a GREAT portable powersource. I'll have to have it repaired ASAP, I don't know how I ever lived without it! Never would have got the shot at the mine without renting a generator before (a real PITA when shooting out of state).

Sorry, haven't used the Zuess gear, but so far, for the money, I am very happy with WL products and plan to buy more.

No, they are not Profotos, and I don't think I would use them for a 2-week product shoot, but for less than 1/3rd the cost of the top-end AC heads, they definitely a good product I would recommend to for most situations.

Ken

[Scott_Witcher]

Thank-you to those who have responded so far!

It would seem to me that White-Lightning is more durable and more pro oriented than the alienbees. This is probably why Paul Buff refers to the Zeus as being part of the White-Lightning line rather than the alienbees line. Furthermore the Zeus bares more resemblance to white-lightning products than alienbees, even though the Zeus is shown on the alienbees site as well as WL.

Is there anyone else out there who uses White-Lightning or Alienbees? I would really appreciate it if you would share your experiences!

cheers:-)

[Alan_Ackoff]

I use White Lightnings and they always get the job done for me. Their customer service is top notch. I sent a unit back to them because of a noisy fan. They fully serviced and calibrated the unit, installed a new flash tube, and replaced the fan--all under the warranty at no charge. The service folks are friendly and they did the service quickly.

I heard a podcast featuring Paul Buff and he said that Alien Bee and White Lightning are separate companies and that he has set them up so that they compete with each other. He also said that Alien Bee operates on a smaller profit margin. So it sounds like you get a pretty good bang for the buck with the Alien Bees. If I were buying at this time I would consider them seriously.

Haven't tried the Zeus.

-Alan

[Albert Yanowich Jr.]

Hello Scott,

Every group I have listed on this page was with a White Lightning 3200... either with the supplied 7" silver reflector or indoors with the optional 22" diffusion dome and optional cloth sock.
With the 3200 I can always dial back power... but have it when I need it.
I use the Vagabond II power supply and with a 5yr. warranty you can't go wrong.

Sample Groups Photo Gallery by Albert Yanowich Jr. at pbase.com

How easy is that?

Albert Yanowich Jr.

[Ken Krehbiel]

Scott, to add to my earlier post;

I just heard from Paul C. Buff Friday that they were replacing my Vagabond II's power converter for free and replacing(!!) the muddy carrying bag because it was under 60 days. And all this is because of damage from the wind knocking over my light stand into MUD! I am stunned that they would go that far for the customer. I've been trying to not think about how much it was going to cost me to repair it. Try getting that kind of service from anyone else: "hello, Nikon? I just dropped my month-old D3 into a mud bog, can I get a new camera and shoulder strap?". Yeah, right.

I'm definitely adding a X3200, Beauty dish and another Vagabond II to my tool kit.

Ken

[Ed Okie]

Identical customer-support experience on my end... outstanding! Parts replacement and/or refund policies are top-notch from the Buff organization. Almost a "gold standard" as measured against other product-pushers.
Customer service almost has evolved as a long-lost attribute with the vast majority of businesses. Buff is Buff.
Tough to judge on the front end when first buying. But customer service is a god-send thereafter.

[Pro Photo Store]

Visit the B&H Pro Photo Store for the best Gear Prices and regular specials!

Brilliant Color for any Digital SLR
White Balance Cap
The Pros Agree on ColorRight
What People Are Saying